


Mistakes and Reparations

by BlackxFirexTazz



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hinted torture/rape, May get NSFW in later chapters, Slight Benn/OFC if you squint a lil, Yasopp being fatherly, bad shit happened, more to come - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-15 23:06:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11241159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackxFirexTazz/pseuds/BlackxFirexTazz
Summary: Shanks' crew finds Tazz floating aimlessly in a shoddy boat after the Battle of Marineford. They take the broken woman aboard and it is revealed that her state was caused by Shanks himself. He knows his choice at the time was a mistake and he desperately wants Tazz to forgive him. Can she bring herself to forgive him for what she went through? As a word of warning, this has angst and may get NSFW in later chapters.





	1. The Damage

In the cabin of a small, wooden boat floating aimlessly sat a lone woman. She was sitting hunched over at the edge of her bed, single eye staring at the space between her booted feet with her hair shadowing her upper face as her only arm was limply draped over her right leg as the empty space of her left shoulder ached dully. She continued staring, eye glazed over as she got lost in her thoughts until the sounds of multiple heavy objects hitting the deck met her ears.

She didn't even bother moving, no longer caring if it was enemy pirates or marines, and just continued to stare at the floor. Vaguely familiar voices reached her and she furrowed her brows, trying to place the voices to the owners. The door slowly creaked open, letting in the light of the afternoon sun, as a pistol peeked through.

Upon finding the cabin to be occupied, the wielder of the pistol kicked the door open the rest of the way, making it slam against the wall as he aimed the pistol at her. There was a tense silence before the gunman's voice softly spoke up as the owner recognized the tattoos on her single arm and her fluffy hair, "Tazz...?" She looked up a bit, eye dull and blank as she saw that the gunman was none other than Yasopp.

When he confirmed that it was indeed Tazz, he quickly lowered his pistol and shouted out to the others that had boarded her boat "It's Tazz! She's not looking too good!" He put his gun away and walked into the cabin before kneeling down in front of her, brows furrowed in concern as he looked her over, eyes widening when he saw that her left arm was no longer there. He reached out to her before hesitating, his hands hovering near her shoulders, "What happened?"

Another man entered the cabin, a small gasp of shock leaving him at the sight of the woman, "Shit..." Her dull gaze moved over to the newcomer, finding it to be Benn Beckman. He clenched his fists as he grit his teeth, feeling intense guilt and rage before shoving it away and walking farther into the cabin and standing next to a still kneeling Yasopp.

Benn sighed heavily before he gently took Tazz in his arms in a bridal carry, making sure her empty left shoulder was hidden from sight before he scowled, feeling that her right leg was no longer flesh. He turned to Yasopp as he held her closer, "Let's get her on Red Force..." The blond man nodded and stood before heading to the door of the cabin.

Benn carefully carried her out of the cabin and in to view of the other pirates aboard the large ship and walked over to the rope ladder. He adjusted her to one arm before he started climbing the ladder. When he got close to the top, he handed her off to Yasopp, who had climbed up before he did, before hopping over the railing onto the deck.

After straightening up, he took Tazz back into his arms before he started heading to the infirmary so the ship's doctor could look at her. Yasopp and Lucky Roo kept the others back so that Tazz wouldn't be crowded. When he got to the infirmary, he gently laid her down on the cot, frowning at her still glazed over gaze, letting out a heavy sigh as he put a hand on her head.

The doctor then began the task of checking her over, carefully sitting her up and pulling her black t-shirt off of her to find that her whole torso was covered in bandages, the ones around her abdomen having become a bit bloody. The doctor had been somewhat surprised to find that she had already been tended to with the bigger wounds stitched up and went about unraveling as Benn turned away out of courtesy. He cleaned and stitched up the long gash on her abdomen since it had the stitches busted and reopened sometime in the past twelve hours.

A small exclamation of shock made Benn look over to see that her camo cargo pants had also been removed and he was glad that the doctor had thrown small towels over her unmentionables. His eyes looked at the long black tail that was draped over the side of the cot before they widened as he took in the full extent of damage on her body before his eyes caught sight of the wooden prosthetic leg that went up to the middle of her right thigh and was held in place by a few straps around her upper thigh. He stepped closer and frowned putting a hand on Tazz's head as she blankly stared at the ceiling.

The doctor undid the straps and removed the wooden leg before setting it against a wall. He sighed as he saw that the stump was red and almost reopened from being a fresh wound put against a somewhat rough surface with weight being put on it. He tended to Tazz's leg before checking her shoulder and seeing that it was still healing much like the other wounds on her body.

Afterwards, the doctor got Benn's attention, "Let's flip her over. I need to check her back." Benn simply nodded and helped turn her onto her stomach, wincing when he saw the large x-shaped burn on her upper back, "Damn..." The doctor put ointment on the burn and got Benn to sit her up, the latter looking away once more as her chest was once more uncovered, before he started wrapping her neck, shoulder, chest, abdomen, and leg before laying her down on her back.

After taking care of the major wounds, the doctor removed the bandages from Tazz's head before examining her eye, seeing that it had been stitched shut since the socket was empty and the torn skin would heal her eye closed. He sighed and re-wrapped her head with clean bandages. He gathered all the soiled ones and disposed of them before putting her pants back on her and tying the right pant leg into a knot under the stump.

Once he had finished tending to her, the doctor sighed and crossed his arms, "Looks like she's been through hell." Benn crossed his arms and leaned against the wall close to the cot, "For all we know, she could have been..." The sound of the door opening made the two men look over to see that Shanks had entered the room with a curious expression, "What's all the commotion about?"

His eyes looked passed Benn who slightly scowled at him and widened when he saw the black-haired woman and the condition she was in with bandages covering almost every inch of her torso. Her eye widened when the red-haired man's voice reached her ears and she shot up before scrambling to get in as good of a defensive crouch as she can with one leg. All three men stared at her in shock at the glare on her face that looked like it would freeze hell over.

Shanks took a step closer and held out his hand before hesitating as a low, inhuman growl came from the woman. She snarled at the man, showing off her teeth that were longer and sharper than the average human's thanks to her devil fruit as her tail whipped around angrily behind her. Shanks gave her an uneasy smile as he took another step closer, getting another growl from Tazz before she shouted, "Stay back!"

He once more paused in his steps and frowned, "What's wrong, Tazz...? Why are you being so hostile towards me?" She stayed in the crouch, careful to not put any weight on her stump, "I watched you abandon me at Marineford..." Shanks swallowed thickly and held up his hand with a placating smile, "What are you talking about? I didn't abandon you."

She scowled at him, "Don't lie, Red Hair. I saw you standing by and watching as my leg got chopped off my Doflamingo. We made eye contact when I got caught by the Akainu and Kizaru before you left with your crew. You were the only one that didn't seem apprehensive about leaving me." A pang of hurt hit him as she used his moniker instead of his name and he dropped his hand and smile, "There wasn't anything I could've done..." She barked out a bitter laugh before glowering at him, "Bullshit! You could've fended the Admirals off long enough for someone to get me. I know you could've. You have no idea what they did to me in there to get me to talk..."

She tilted her head down so that her hair shadowed her upper face before large tears started dripping down her left cheek. Shanks took a step forward but was stopped by Benn's hand as he shook his head, "I think you should leave for now. She's obviously in no condition to see you..." The redhead sighed softly before nodding and turning, giving the damaged woman a final glance before leaving the infirmary.

Only when the sound of his footsteps faded did the woman relax, falling down before being caught by Benn. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her right shoulder before looking at the doctor, "I'll take her to a spare room..." He received a nod and gently put Tazz's shirt on her before helping her stand.

The doctor handed him a crutch, which he then handed to Tazz who tucked it under her right arm. The two left the infirmary and Benn kept her stable with a hand on her back as she hobbled alongside him. They were met in the hall by Yasopp who had been coming to visit and the blond frowned when he saw the tied off right pant leg, "It was worse than we first thought, huh?"

Benn nodded and looked down at Tazz as she wiped the tears from her cheek while glaring at the ground, "Turns out she's emotionally and mentally damaged, too." Yasopp sighed heavily and walked closer before hugging Tazz, holding her head against his chest as he felt the fatherly urge to comfort her. She stiffened for a moment before her crutch fell to the floor as she clutched his shirt and started sobbing softly.

Benn watched the two before putting a hand on the blond's shoulder to get his attention, "I'm gonna go find her a spare room to stay in. There's no way in hell I'm letting her back on that little boat in her condition." Yasopp nodded and gently rubbed her back, being mindful in case there were any wounds there, "I'll take her to the deck for some fresh air." Benn nodded back before heading back with a last sorrowful glance at the crying woman.

Once Benn was out of sight, Yasopp hugged her for a moment longer before pulling away and stooping down to grab her crutch. He tucked it back under her arm and started guiding her to the deck. When they arrived, an uncharacteristically harsh glare from the sniper kept the others at bay so they wouldn't crowd her.

She took a deep, shaky breath before Yasopp angled her face up to him so he could wipe her tears with his thumb. Seeing her like this made his paternal instincts kick into overdrive since he had known her almost as long as his own son. He gave her a comforting smile to which she gave a slight attempt at one in return.

They just stood there, Yasopp gently rubbed her back as she calmed down, before Benn appeared with a bundle of clothes under his arm, "I found her a room." Yasopp nodded and ushered her to the other man, "I bet you wanna take a nap right now, huh?" She nodded slowly and was then led off by Benn to the room she'd be staying in.

He opened the door for her and helped her inside before getting her sat on the bed and putting the clothes next to her, "My room is just four doors down on the right if you need anything." She nodded and watched Benn leave, shutting the door behind him before she started shirking off her clothes and putting on the over-sized gray t-shirt with more difficulty than the black boxers that actually fit her rather well. Once the door was shut, Benn heaved a sigh and looked up to see Shanks standing a few feet away.

He gave the redhead a hard stare as he crossed his arms, "So what's your real reason for leaving her behind?" Shanks sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away, the guilt that was eating away at him evident on his face, "My first priority was getting Luffy out of there..." Benn narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him, "Even if it meant sacrificing his sister and leaving her to possibly die? I thought you cared about her more than that..."

His words made Shanks' blood run cold. He hadn't thought about it like that. He sighed heavily and looked back at Benn with a determined look in his eyes, "I regret leaving her with all of my being, and I fully intend to make it up to her in any way possible no matter how long it takes." The tall first mate ran a hand through his gray hair as he sighed once more before pointing a stern finger at his captain, "You better. She's been hurt real bad, Shanks. Maybe in ways we don't know about. There were almost burned bruises shaped like hands on her neck, leg and arm, and her waist..." 

Shanks scowled at the new information before he nodded and walked to Tazz's door as Benn walked off in the direction the redhead had come from. He stood in front of the door for a moment before knocking. When he didn't get an answer, he slowly opened the door and poked his head inside to see that Tazz had already fallen asleep, turned on her right side with her back facing the door since that side had the least amount of damage.

He quietly entered the room, shutting the door behind him before walking over to the bed and looking down at the woman with a small frown. He walked around the bed so that he was facing her before he sat down, staring at her for a moment before reaching out and gently pushing her fringe out of the way to get a better look at the bandages on her face. His heart twisted painfully as he looked from her face to her left shoulder.

He subconsciously gripped his own left shoulder, knowing the pain of loosing a limb. His eyes then moved to the stump of her right leg and he sighed softly. He looked back to her face and lightly put his hand on her cheek, pausing when she nuzzled against it in her sleep.

He frowned once more, angry at himself for his decision at Marineford. He made sure she was in a deep sleep before he leaned down, resting his forehead against hers as he closed his eyes and whispered, "I swear I'll make it up to you..." He pressed a feather-light kiss to her forehead before he pulled back and lightly stroked her cheek with a soft look on his face.

After a few more moments of observing her, he sighed and stood before heading to the door. He gave one last look at her before leaving the room so she can rest for the day.


	2. Nightmares and Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shanks realizes how fragile of a state Tazz is in when she has a nightmare before taking her back to bed. She later confronts him about his decision.

Tazz opened her eye to find herself surrounded by darkness and she looked around frantically, trying to figure out what where she was. Suddenly, a multitude of hands shot out from the shadows and grabbed at her, their touches searing her skin with intense heat. One hand tightly grasped her hair and forced her to look ahead to see the cruel face of a certain lava-powered admiral appear from the shadows.

She shot up in her bed, eye wide and glued to the blankets that were clenched so tightly in her fist that her knuckles turned white. Sweat dripped down her temple as she looked around the room, a flash of panic going through her upon not recognizing it. She scrambled to get out of the strange bed before falling and looking down to see that she only had one leg. 

A weak cry of shock left her throat at the sight and she noticed a crutch leaning against the wall by the bed. She crawled to it and grabbed it before getting up with some difficulty and hobbling to the door. She swung it open and tears welled up in her eye at seeing the unfamiliar hallway.

Her sharp ears picked up the sounds of waves and she quickly made her way towards the sound, stumbling every so often before she burst out onto the deck of a ship. She made her way to the center and glanced around, trying to see where she was, barely noticing that it was dark with stars twinkling overhead. She looked up and saw the jolly roger on the black flag lazily waving in the breeze and recognized it, relaxing a bit when she realized that she wasn't back at Marineford.

The sound of her name being softly spoke drew her attention to the red-haired man standing seven feet away, a look of worry on his face as he watched her. At the sight of the familiar face, her leg gave out from under her and her crutch skittered a couple of feet away. The man rushed to catch her in his arm before she could fall, gently pressing her against his chest as he lowered her down.

Her hand tightly gripped his shirt as she trembled, the tears in her wide eye finally spilling down her cheek in large drops. He wrapped his arm around her back and hugged her, frowning at the sight of her like this. He heard footsteps and saw Benn with an ever-present cigarette in his mouth walking towards them before stopping a few meters away, having come out to check on her after hearing her scramble down the hallway.

The first mate gave Shanks a hard look, silently reminding him of his promise before nodding to himself, seeing that the redhead seemed to have things under control, before turning and heading back inside. Shanks sighed softly before looking back down at the woman holding on to him for dear life. He frowned deeper, disturbed by how fragile she appeared to be in that moment as she shook against him.

He slowly picked her up with his one arm, cradling her against him almost like a child as he stood. He looked down at her crutch and decided that he'd come back for it later after getting Tazz calmed down. He started walking back inside, Tazz still clutching his shirt and softly sobbing against his shoulder.

A pang shot through his heart at the sounds and he frowned, holding her a little tighter before reaching her room, glad that the door was still open. He entered and gently laid her on the bed before starting to pull back. He paused when she tightened her grip on his shirt, a pathetic whimper worming its way from her throat.

His face softened and he gently pried her hand from his shirt, getting a soft,panicked cry. He put his hand on her head reassuringly before going to the door and shutting it. He pulled his cape from his shoulders and set it on the chair of the small desk in the corner of the room. He then turned back to see Tazz watching him with a wide-eyed expression, tears still streaming down her cheek before her eye briefly looked at the stub of his left arm.

He walked over to the bed, toeing his sandals off before sliding onto the bed, her eye once more resting on his face. He smiled softly and leaned against the wall the bed was against and gently pulled Tazz to him. She stiffened a moment before relaxing against him, her sobs and sniffles fading away.

Shanks sighed softly, burying his face in her hair as he lightly rubbed her back. Her sporadic breathing soon evened out as she fell back asleep from mental exhaustion. He looked down at her, smiling a bit at her now peaceful expression before he brought his hand to her face and wiped her tears with his thumb.

He placed a light kiss to the top of her head before easing them both to lie down and pulling the covers over the two of them. He turned on his left side to face her before draping his arm over her waist and pulling her to him almost protectively. She cuddled against him in her sleep and he rubbed her side before closing his eyes.

The next morning, light filtered into the room through the curtains and Shanks groaned softly, bringing his hand up to shield his eyes. After being unable to fall back to sleep, he slid his hand around the bed, trying to locate Tazz. Upon finding the bed empty, he shot up and glanced around the room before his gaze landed on Tazz.

She was huddled in the farthest corner of the room, her leg brought to her chest with her wrapped around it as she glowered darkly at the redhead that had taken up her bed. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was still in the room before frowning at her expression and reluctance to be near him. He leaned back against the wall and ran a hand through his hair, "How long have you been awake?"

She stayed silent for a bit before responding quietly, showing her apprehension to even speak to him which made his chest hurt with sorrow, "....Twenty minutes...." They stared at each other in a tense silence before it was broken by the sound of her stomach rumbling loudly. Shanks chuckled softly and got out of bed before putting his sandals on and walking to the desk chair that had his cape.

He put it on before turning to Tazz, frowning a bit when he saw her tense. He walked over to her and held his hand out, "Come on. How long has it been since you've had a proper meal?" She stared at his hand before the growling from her stomach made her begrudgingly take it, "....Four days..." 

His eyes widened before he pulled her up, wrapping his arm around her to keep her stable much to her displeasure, "Let's go get you some breakfast." He walked her to the door before having her lean against him so he could open it. When the door was opened, he saw Yasopp standing there with his hand outstretched, most likely going for the doorknob, and noticed Tazz's crutch in his hand.

Yasopp arched a brow at his captain, wondering why he was in Tazz's room but not voicing the question before he saw the woman next to him looking rather uncomfortable. The blond man let out a sigh and handed her the crutch before stepping aside so they could exit the room. The two men started leading Tazz down to the Galley, Yasopp putting his hand on her back and subtly pulling her closer to him since he had heard about her current distrust of his red-haired captain from Benn earlier that morning.

When they arrived, the rest of the crew had already began eating. Shanks got himself some food and sat in front of Benn at a table and Yasopp gently pushed Tazz to sit next to Benn while he went to get her some food. He came back and put a large plate of various breakfast foods in front of her before sitting on her other side with his own plate.

Her mouth watered at the sight and smell and she thanked the blond before she dug in, eating messily much like her brother due to how hungry she actually was. The men on each side of her chuckled softly while Shanks just watched her thoughtfully as he ate. She soon finished the first plate and gulped down a glass of milk before asking for more food.

Yasopp laughed and patted her back, "Have as much as you like!" He got and and retrieved another plate for her along with a refill of milk. She smiled a bit as she got to work on her second helping, stopping to drink some milk every now and then. Another plate later, she let out a content sigh after finishing off her milk with a milk mustache on her upper lip.

She rubbed her stomach with a small smile. Benn chuckled at her and nudged her to get her attention. When she looked over at him, he used his thumb to wipe the milk from her lip before ruffling her hair and getting a half-hearted shout of protest from her as she blushed lightly.

Shanks' eyes narrowed a bit at their interaction, a slight pang of jealousy hitting him. He squashed the feeling, realizing that it was ridiculous to get jealous when knowing how Tazz felt about him. He returned to eating before finishing and putting his plate up.

He announced to the others that he'd be in his quarters before he turned and left. Tazz looked down at the table with a small frown as she grasped the fabric of the boxers she was wearing. Benn nudged her lightly with his elbow and leaned down as he spoke quietly, "He really regrets his decision, you know. He's taking this as hard as you and he wants to make it up to you."

She scoffed lightly and glared, "Like I care..." Benn and Yasopp watched her for a moment before looking at each other and they sighed simultaneously. Yasopp folded his arms on the table as he looked back at her, "At least talk to him a bit more. It's not good to keep everything bottled up. You two could come to some sort of understanding."

Tazz glowered for a moment before her face relaxed and she sighed, "Fine...I'll try..." The two men smiled and each gave her a pat on the back. They both stood and helped Tazz up before Benn asked, "Do you need anything else?"

She hummed softly in thought before rubbing the back of her neck, "I think I could use a bath..." The two men shared another glance and seemed to almost be mentally speaking to each other before Yasopp gathered the plates to take to be washed while Benn looked down at her with a small smile, "I'll take you to the bathroom." She nodded and returned the smile before being led off by Benn.

When they reached the large bathing room, Benn opened the door for her, "I'll be out here making sure no one tries to peep. Let me know if you need anything." She nodded gratefully before walking inside. She heard the door click shut behind her before she sat down on the floor, setting her crutch against the wall before managing to slip her clothes off along with her bandages. 

She bit her lip as she thought of how she'd even get inside one of the large tubs. After a moment, she sighed softly and grabbed a nearby towel before wrapping it around her torso and knocking on the door. Benn's voice sounded from the other side, "Yes?"

She rubbed the back of her neck and spoke softly, "I don't think I can get into the tub by myself..." Her face flushed when she heard Benn's chuckle from behind the door before he spoke, "I'm coming in then." She scooted away from the door as it cracked open before Ben slid inside the room.

He politely kept his gaze on her face as he knelt down next to her. She pouted a bit and looked away as he slipped one arm under her leg and the other around her back before standing. He walked over to a tub before gently setting her down on the wide edge.

He straightened up and looked at her, "Need anything else?" She hummed in thought before shaking her head, "I don't think so." He nodded and headed to the door, shutting it behind him before getting in his previous position with his arms folded over his chest and a look on his face that'd scare anyone away.

Tazz removed the towel and set it aside before she plugged the tub and turned on the hot water. She brought her leg up to avoid the cold water, not wanting to touch it until it warmed up. When it did, she waited for the tub to fill up before she shut she faucet off and eased herself in, sighing at the pleasant warmth.

She leaned back and closed her eye before hearing voices outside the door, placing them to be Benn and Yasopp conversing. Benn knocked on the door, "Yasopp brought some clothes for you while yours get cleaned." She looked over at the door, "Alright. Just set them inside the door."

The door opened enough for Benn to set the clothes down by the door way before shutting again. She closed her eye again and reached up to touch her right eye, feeling the stitches and healing gash. She frowned a bit and sighed softly before letting her arm fall to the water.

She stayed there for a few minutes, just relaxing in the hot water. When she figured she soaked long enough, she grabbed a nearby sponge and soap before managing to lather the sponge. She ran it over her neck and chest, being mindful of her wounds.

She gently washed her left shoulder, wincing a bit as a small amount of pain flared up. She then lifted her leg out of the water and washed it before setting it back down. After a moment, she paused when she realized she wouldn't be able to reach her back.

She grumbled softly and called out to Benn, "Benn? I need some help..." The man peeked through the door and saw her with her head just above the edge of the tub, "Yes?" She pursed her lips and scratched her cheek with a finger, "I can't reach my back..."

He chuckled softly and entered, glancing away so she could turn her back to him. He walked over to the tub and knelt by it before he took the sponge from her and started gently wiping it over her back, being very careful around the large burn on the upper portion. He continued washing her back thoroughly before handing back the sponge and standing.

He turned around, pausing when he heard her speak while sinking to her neck in the water, "Thanks, Benn...For everything..." He looked back at her and took a drag of his cigarette before he smiled and ruffled her hair, secretly thankful that that bubbly water covered everything, "Don't worry about it. It's the least I can do after having known you for so long." She smiled softly at he and he patted her head, "Need anything else?"

She hummed softly before nodding, "Can you wash my hair?" He nodded and knelt back down, watching her submerge her head before popping back up and wiping the water from her eye. She turned back so that she was facing away from him once more as he got some soap and started lathering her hair up.

They fell into a comfortable silence as Benn washed her hair and smiled softly at the back of her head. When he finished, he helped rinse all of the suds from her hair before standing again and grabbing her towel. He turned away and held her towel behind him before she eased herself out of the water and onto the edge of the tub.

She took the towel from him and ran it over her body before wrapping it around her torso so he could turn back around. He stood her up and guided her to a stool, gently pushing her down on it before grabbing another towel and draping it over her head. He pulled a stool up behind her and sat before he started rubbing her hair, the smoke from his cigarette lazily drifting up as they fell into another silence.

He glanced at the pile of bandages on the floor, "You need the bandages back on?" Tazz hummed before shaking her head, "Nah. I should be healed enough that I don't need them." He hummed in response before continuing to dry her hair.

When he finished and her hair was fluffy once more, he tossed the towel aside before standing and getting the clothes from by the door, "The shirt is a button-up. Will you need help?" She thought in silence for a moment before pouting and nodding. He chuckled and walked back over to her before he held the open white shirt out with the back facing him.

He helped her slip her arm through the long sleeve, smiling a bit when he saw that the sleeve was longer than her arm, before buttoning the very top button without looking. After the top of the shirt was secured, he helped her stand and kept his eyes on the top of her head, thankful that the shirt went almost to her knee as she held the towel to her waist. He turned her around to face him and then started quickly buttoning the rest of the buttons.

When he finished, he rolled the sleeve up to her elbow before turning to grab the small pair of briefs and handing them to her before turning away, "Those were recently purchased and shrunk after the first wash before they could even be worn, so don't worry about having to wear someone else's underwear." She let out a relieved breath to which he chuckled, waiting for her to give him the okay to turn around. When she did, he grabbed the baggy blue pants and belt, slinging the latter over his shoulder before kneeling.

She put her hand on his shoulder and quickly hopped up as Benn slipped the top of the pant leg under her foot before she landed. He pulled the pants up and buttoned them before sliding the belt from his shoulder and through the loops before buckling it. He tied off the right pant leg just under her stump before he stood and ruffled her hair, making her smile before she spoke, "Thanks."

He returned the smile and puffed on his cigarette, "Don't worry about." She pointed at the empty left sleeve, "Can you do something about this? I don't really like it just dangling there..." He nodded and grabbed a strip of bandaging and stuck part in his mouth as he folded the sleeve neatly up to her shoulder before tying it off with the bandage.

She smiled happily and Benn smiled back, glad to see her genuinely smiling. He retrieved her crutch and handed it to her before gathering her clothes in one arm and helping her to the door since the floor was slick from the steam. As he helped her exit the bathroom, he saw Shanks spot them and look between the two, frowning slightly when he figured out that Benn had helped her get dressed.

Shanks said nothing and turned before leaving before Tazz noticed him. Benn stared at the spot where he disappeared around the corner and looked down at Tazz when she asked what was wrong. He smiled and ruffled her hair, "It's nothing. Let's get you to your room so you can get your boot. I don't want you getting any splinters from running around barefoot." 

She smiled back and nodded, following behind Benn since they were both now confident that she could walk without any other support. He opened her door for her and followed her in, bending and picking up her boot before ushering her to sit on the bed. She did so and he grabbed her leg before propping her foot on his leg after kneeling. 

He put her boot on before lacing it up and tying it tightly. He set her foot back down and stood, taking another drag of his smoke before holding his hand out to her, "Wanna get some fresh air on deck?" She nodded and took his hand, letting him help her stand before relying on her crutch once more.

They chatted a bit as they walked, small smiles on both of their faces. A flash of red and the swoosh of a black cape caught Tazz's attention, making her look away from Benn to see Shanks' back as he walked passed them. She noticed that his face was rather sullen and she halted her steps, making Benn stop as well and glance at where she was looking. 

He looked back at her and his face softened when he saw the slight worry on her face before putting a hand on her back and lightly pushing her, "Go talk to him." She glanced back at Benn before nodding and hobbling after the redhead. Benn smiled softly to himself as he watched her leave before returning on his way to the deck.

She turned the corner Shanks had gone through and saw his cape disappear through a doorway, presumably his quarters, and she made her way over after the door shut. She swallowed nervously and knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she sighed softly and looked at the ground before jumping when the door opened to see Shanks.

His eyes widened a bit as he saw that it was her before he poked his head out of his room and looked up and down the hallway, checking to see if someone was forcing her to do this. He tucked his thumb in his sash as he leaned against the doorway, crossing his legs as he watched her with an unreadable expression. Tazz bit her lower lip and looked away, "I, uh...came to talk..."

Shanks stayed silent for a moment before pushing away from the doorway and stepping aside to let her in. He shut the door behind her and leaned against it as he watched her stand awkwardly in the middle of his room. He gestured for her to sit on his bed as he continued to lean against the door.

His eyes followed her as she moved over to his bed before sitting on it and leaning her crutch against one of the bedposts. She took a deep breath before looking at him, "I want to know why you decided to leave me at Marineford..." Shanks looked at her thoughtfully before running his hand back through his scarlet hair with a sigh, "To be very honest, my first thought was to get Luffy to safety no matter the cost..."

She looked down at her lap as her right fist clenched the blue fabric of her pants before she released a breath and relaxed a bit, "I...probably would've done the same thing...I guess I can't exactly be mad at the reasoning since I'm willing to risk my life for my brother." She bit down on her lower lip and grasped her pants again, "It just....hurts to know that someone I thought I was close to would just leave me..." His chest tightened at her words and he pushed away from the door, walking over before sitting next to her on the bed.

He put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her into a hug, holding her head against his chest, "I am close to you. At least, I'd like to be...I had tunnel vision at the time and didn't even know you were there until it was too late..." Her eye widened when she found herself pressed to his chest before it slid shut as she grasped his shirt, biting her lower lip to keep the tears at bay.

After a moment, she pushed him away a bit with a forced stern expression as she looked up at him. His heart hurt a bit at being momentarily rejected before he saw her expression. She sighed softly and looked down at her lap, "Shanks...I can't forgive you. At least, not yet. I really want to, but I just can't bring myself to yet..." He sighed softly and nodded in understanding, taking some of her hair in his hand and slightly playing with it before letting the strands slip from his fingers, "I understand, but that won't stop me from trying to make it up to you..."

She nodded and rubbed the back of her neck before Shanks spoke up, "We'll be docking at an island in a few hours. I'll see about getting you some prostheses." She nodded again and stood up before hobbling to his door. She opened it before looking back at him, "I'm going to head back to my room...I guess...I'll see you at lunch." 

She exited before he could respond and he just sat on his bed as he stared at the door. He sighed softly and ran his hand back through his hair before staring at it as he rested it against his leg. Tazz let out a breath before she started heading in the direction she recalled her room being.

She frowned when she realized that she'd most likely be holed up in her room with nothing to do. When she opened the door and entered, she blinked when she saw a book and a note on the nightstand. She made her way over and picked up the note and saw that it was from Benn, "'I figured you'd want to lay in bed after talking, so I found a book I thought you might would want to read to keep your mind off things. From, Benn.'" 

She smiled and set the note down before picking the book up and flopping on her bed after setting her crutch aside. She opened the book as she laid back and began reading. She eventually drifted off to sleep before she could fight it, the book resting on her chest as it rose and fell with each breath.


	3. Replacements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tazz finally gets her prostheses and Shanks finally starts trying to make things up to her.

Tazz woke from her dreamless sleep to the sound of knocking on her door and Yasopp's voice, "Tazz? We're docked if you wanna stretch your leg a bit." She yawned and rubbed her eye before picking the book up off her chest. She marked the page and closed the book before setting the book on her nightstand and grabbing her crutch, "Coming."

She stood and made her way to the door much more easily than when she first started using the crutch. She opened the door and smiled when she saw the sniper who returned the smile. He gestured to the hall, "Ready?"

She nodded and exited her room, shutting the door behind her before she began walking down the hall towards the deck. Yasopp opened the door for her and she thanked him before walking out, taking a deep breath of the fresh air before hobbling to the railing. She looked over as another person joined him and she smiled when she saw that it was Benn, "Thanks for the book."

He smiled back as he looked down at her, "You're welcome." He gestured to the island, "You'll probably need some help getting down." She nodded in agreement with a soft sigh, "Yeah..."

She handed her crutch to Yasopp before Benn picked her up bridal style, waiting for Tazz to wrap her arm around his neck before he started walking down the gangplank. Yasopp walked behind them with Tazz's crutch over his shoulders as he held each end. Once the got to the dock, Benn eased her down and Yasopp handed her crutch back.

They all walked into the town, the two men walking on each side of her almost protectively. They soon came up to a store that seemed to sell prosthetic limbs. Tazz blinked before looking up at the men at her sides who smiled down at her. She gave them a smile back before they entered the store and saw that Shanks already inside talking to the owner.

She tilted her head a bit to the side before Shanks noticed them and pointed at her and said something to the store owner. The owner put his chin in his hand as he walked closer, walking around her and examining her. It made her tense a bit which almost put Yasopp and Benn in defense mode before the owner turned back to Shanks with a nod.

That made the redhead grin before giving the owner a generous amount of money before he went to a back room. Shanks looked over at Tazz when the owner returned with a measuring tape. The owner pulled out a stool and patted it, motioning for her to sit down.

She hobbled over with a hesitant look before Shanks put his hand on her shoulder, "He's just going to take measurements for the prostheses. It shouldn't take very long." She nodded slowly before sitting down and letting the owner take the measurement of the thickness as well as length of her thigh stump before measuring the total length of her remaining leg and arm. After writing down the measurements, the owner disappeared into the back once more before returning with a right leg and left arm almost identical in build to her own limbs and two pieces of meshed metal constructed to look like a shoulder and portion of a thigh while a new man walked behind him.

The owner handed the limbs to the man that came in after him, "This man is a surgeon that specializes in installing the receivers for the prostheses. The limbs themselves can be taken off at any time and even switched for different ones although the receivers are permanently implanted into the body." The small man looked at Tazz, "Miss, do you truly want these?" She took a breath before nodding with determination in her eye, "I do."

The owner nodded and pushed the timid looking surgeon towards Shanks, "This man will work alongside your doctor to implant the receivers." The surgeon nodded in greeting to the pirates before they all left. Tazz was once more walking between the first mate and sniper while the captain trailed behind, watching her back as they walked. 

Once they reached the gangplank, Tazz handed her crutch to Yasopp as Benn once more picked her up. Shanks frowned slightly as he watched before shaking it off and walking up the gangplank after the others. When they boarded, the doctor came out to meet them and Tazz grew nervous and grasped the hem of her shirt.

They all noticed her nervousness and before Benn or Yasopp could reassure her, Shanks beat them to it and put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly, "You'll be just fine, Tazz." She looked up at him before nodding slowly and following after the surgeon and doctor while the others watched her disappear behind the door. Benn took a drag of his cigarette while Shanks ran his hand through his hair with a sigh.

Yasopp clapped a hand on his shoulder, "Just as you said, she'll be fine. I think you should worry more about her decking you once she gets her new arm." Shanks gave a half-hearted chuckle and nodded, "I guess you're right..." Yasopp let go of his captain's shoulder before wandering off and Benn blew out some smoke.

The silence that fell over the two was tense and uncomfortable. It stayed that way for a moment before Benn broke it, "Shanks, I know you're jealous of me. Don't think you can hide it from me when I've known you for so long." Shanks couldn't bring himself to deny it and he heaved a sigh, "Yeah...I know it's irrational, but...I just can't help it." Benn walked over and put his hand on Shanks' shoulder, "I'm pretty damn certain she loves you more. She just doesn't realize it yet."

The redhead gave him an unsure look before sighing and nodding. Benn nodded back before walking off to attend to his duties. Shanks made his way inside and went to his room, laying on his bed after haphazardly tossing his cape on one of the bedposts. He stared at the ceiling before shutting his eyes.

Shanks' eyes shot open at the knocking on his door and he sluggishly sat up and rubbed an eye. Benn spoke up from behind the door, "The surgery is done." His eyes widened and he jumped out of bed before rushing to the door and swinging it open. Benn put a hand in his pocket and pointed in the direction of the infirmary, "Yasopp is waiting for us. We decided to wait for you before seeing her."

Shanks nodded and ran a hand through his hair before they started walking towards the infirmary. He greeted Yasopp as they arrived at the door, which opened to reveal the doctor who gestured them inside before leaving to give them some privacy. Shanks bit his lip, not liking the sight of Tazz wrapped up in bandages.

They each took a chair that the doctor had conveniently place around the bed for them, Benn and Shanks on the left and Yasopp on the right. Tazz was still looking down at her new left arm, slowly curling and uncurling the fingers repeatedly. Benn spoke after a moment, "How do they feel?" 

She finally looked up at the three and smiled a bit, "It feels...odd. I guess I had gotten used to not having my arm and leg. I'll probably get used to these as fast as it took me to get used to not having them." The men watched her before Shanks held out his hand, "Lets see how well your hand works. Try squeezing my hand." She looked at his hand for a moment before taking it in her prosthetic one and squeezing firmly.

Shanks nodded in satisfaction before releasing her hand, settling his back on his lap. Yasopp put a hand on her new shin, "Can you move your foot." She nodded and moved the foot back and forth before wiggling the toes under the blanket over her, "These are pretty well made. There's even individual toes.." The men chuckled softly at her before Yasopp stood, "Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I should get back to what I was doing."

The other three watched him leave before Benn stood and started heading to the door, "I'm going to go get your pajamas. I'll be right back." Once he left, Shanks looked back at Tazz who was staring at her hand again with a small smile. After a minute or two, Shanks stood and moved closer to the bed, making Tazz look up.

Her eye widened when his face obscured her vision and she felt his lips press against hers. Tears quickly filled her eye. Shanks continued kissing her for a moment, the sound of the door opening not even registering in his mind as he started to pull away.

Benn had opened the door just in time to see Shanks pulling away from Tazz's face as fat tears dripped down her cheek. He dropped Tazz's pajamas and took his captain by the shoulder, spinning him around before grabbing his shirt and slamming him against the wall. He towered over the redhead and snarled angrily while Shanks stared back with a stony face.

Benn leaned down to get in Shanks' face, "What did you do to her?!" They both looked over when they heard a soft sniffle. Benn's face softened and his grip on his captain's shirt loosened when he saw Tazz wiping at the tears that continued to pour from her eye.

They stayed like that for a tense minute before Tazz finally spoke in a soft voice, "You make it so hard for me to dislike you, Shanks...No matter how much I want to hate you for what happened...I just can't..." Benn sighed softly and released Shanks' shirt before moving closer to Tazz and putting a hand on her head. He smoothed her hair before turning his head and giving his captain a hard stare, "You better not make her cry ever again."

Shanks let out a heavy sigh, all the tension leaving his body as his shoulders slumped. He looked back at his first mate, "I don't plan on it." He moved his gaze to the woman who was still sniffling but had stopped crying for the most part.

Benn continuing petting her head for a moment before going and getting her pajamas from the floor and handing them to Shanks, "Get her changed and in bed. She should get some sleep." The redhead nodded and watched Benn leave before turning to Tazz. He awkwardly cleared his throat and set the clothes on the bed before holding his hand out to Tazz, who took it.

He helped her out of bed and kept her steady while she adjusted to her new leg, making sure to keep his eyes on her face since she was practically naked except for the bandages and her panties. He handed her the shirt before grabbing the boxers and handing them to her. After making sure everything was on correctly, he gently took her hand and led her out and towards her room.

She stumbled a bit at first but quickly got used to having another leg. When they reached her door, Shanks opened it for her and watched her as she just stood in the doorway. After a moment, she looked up at him with a frown and raised her fists before she started lightly pounding them against his chest.

He just watched her with slightly wide eyes but let her continue. When she seemed to tire herself out, she leaned her head against his chest, "That's for pissing me off...I'll make sure to punch you properly some other time..I'm too tired right now..." He wrapped his arm around her, hugging her to him as she grasped his shirt.

They stood like that for a moment before Shanks gently pushed her away and led her inside, shutting the door behind him. He pulled the covers of her bed back before getting her in and putting them over her. He turned to leave but stopped when he felt a tug on his cape.

He looked back at her and saw her holding the edge of his cape with a light blush as her gaze was pinned off to the side. He turned back towards her and she let go before speaking softly, "Will...you stay the night with me...?" He smiled softly and ran his hand through her hair, "Of course."

He shrugged off his cape and draped it over a bedpost before toeing off his sandals. His eye widened as he remembered something. He dug through his right pocket before pulling out a black eye patch with an orange x in the center, "I also got this for you."

She nodded and watched him set it on her nightstand before she moved over to give him room on the bed. He slid under the covers before pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, "Goodnight, Tazz." She blushed lightly and hid her face with the covers, "Goodnight..."

He chuckled softly and pulled her against him, gently rubbing her back when she tensed. She relaxed against him and closed her eye with him following suit. They soon both fell into a peaceful sleep.


	4. Merrymaking

When Shanks woke the next morning, he saw familiar fluffy black hair peeking out from between the covers and his chest. The sight brought a smile to his face and he reached up and lifted the covers to see a still-sleeping Tazz laying on top of him. He watched her for a moment before carefully sliding her off of him and getting out of bed.

He sat on the edge as he put his sandals on before looking back at her. She grumbled in her sleep before snuggling against the warmth he left on the bed. He smiled and stood, grabbing his cape and putting it on before heading to the door.

A soft voice calling his name made him stop with his hand hovering over the doorknob. He looked back and saw Tazz sit up and rub her eye with a yawn before she looked at him, "Where're you going...?" He smiled a bit and rubbed the back of his neck, "I figured you wouldn't want to see me when you woke up..."

She fidgeted with the covers, understanding why he would think that, "I... I think I'm a bit more comfortable around you now..." He blinked before smiling and waiting by the door, turning his head away respectfully when she started changing into a gray t-shirt and knee-length black shorts. She put her boots on and walked over to him, finally used to her new leg, "We going to breakfast?"

He nodded and opened the door for her and exited her room after she did. They headed to the galley as Tazz's stomach rumbled. Shanks laughed and Tazz blushed with a small pout before they both saw Benn heading towards them.

He blinked when he saw them together before smiling at Tazz, "I was just about to go get you." She smiled back, "As you can see, we're already heading there. Wanna walk with us?" He nodded and fell unto step with them as they resumed walking.

Tazz flexed her robotic fingers and looked ahead, "I wonder what we're having..." Benn chuckled and glanced down at her, "Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be good." Tazz nodded in agreement before looking at Shanks, "Hey, would you mind teaching me about haki? I think I awakened mine at Marineford since one of the Vice Admirals mentioned something about it..."

The redhead looked down at her before nodding, "Sure. I'll have to see what kind you mostly have." She just looked confused and it got a chuckle from the captain before he ruffled her hair, getting a weak shout of protest from her. They arrived at the galley and Tazz sat next to Shanks instead of between Yasopp and Benn like she had the previous morning.

After eating a few helpings of breakfast, Tazz stood along with Shanks before they headed to the deck. When they got out, Tazz tugged Shanks' cape and sheepishly looked at the floor, "Can we go back into town? I think I saw a music store..." He blinked before grinning, "Sure. What would you want from there?"

She smiled up at him, "A violin." He hummed and put his hand on his hip, "You can play?" She nodded and started to the gangplank with him in tow, "Yeah. Luffy's musician taught me." He let out an interested hum, "Then we should have a party so you can test it out later."

She grinned and nodded excitedly before jogging the rest of the way down the gangplank, slightly bouncing on her feet as she waited for the redhead who chuckled at her enthusiasm. He followed her to the music shop she found and smiled as he watched her, glad that she was no longer seeming depressed but also feeling guilty that he had made her like that. When they got to the store, they entered and Tazz found a beautiful, ebony violin.

She picked it up and flexed the fingers of her artificial hand before placing them on the neck as her real hand grabbed the bow. She gave it a test before playing a short, hauntingly beautiful tune. When the last note faded, Shanks stared at her in shock before grinning as the shopkeeper as well as the small audience her playing drew clapped.

She blushed bashfully and smiled before turning to the shopkeeper, "I'll take this one, please." He smiled and held out a hand to refuse any payment, "I don't need money for it. I'll give it to you for free as long as you promise to keep playing." She smiled widely and nodded, "I will! Thank you!"

The two left the shop and made their way back to the Red Force. Shanks gently pushed Tazz off to her room before shutting her door behind her, much to her confusion. She shrugged and sat on her bed, figuring that he had to discuss something with his crew and she looked out the window to see that they were departing.

She waited in her room with her new violin on her lap and she traced her fingers over it, examining the rose engraving in the wood. She smiled and laid down after setting her violin down. She picked up the book that Benn gave her and continued reading it, quickly getting whisked off into her own little world as she read.

A knock jostled her and she blinked before looking out the window, eye widening when she saw that it was already evening. She set the book aside and went to the door before opening it to see Shanks. He gave her a slightly worried look, "You missed lunch. You okay?"

She smiled a bit and nodded, "Yeah. I guess I just got too focused on reading." He hummed at her words before grinning, "Get your violin and follow me." She blinked at him before nodding and retrieving her new instrument and following him out to the deck.

He opened the door and held his arm out as the crew cheered upon seeing her, lights illuminating the deck with plenty of barrels of alcohol and copious amounts of food laid out. She blinked and looked at Shanks, "What's all this for?" He grinned and put his hand on his hip, "I said we'd have a party, didn't I? I think we could have this to officially celebrate you becoming a pirate."

She stared at him for a moment before smiling. Shanks pushed her towards the center of the deck before sitting on a nearby box, "Go ahead and play us something!" She looked at the violin in her hand and put it in place as she wracked her head for a song before a grin spread across her face.

She began the upbeat tune of Binks' Sake and the others sang along. She bounced around as she played, the music making her want to move along with it. Benn smiled and leaned back in his seat as Yasopp clapped as he sang.

After finishing the first song, she started another one with a cheery melody. Some of the others began dancing along with the music as they clapped and sang. They went through a few more songs before Tazz had to take a break.

She sat between Shanks and Benn and gulped down a tankard of beer. Benn smiled down at her, "I didn't know you could play." She smiled and nodded, "One of Luffy's crew taught me."

Shanks calpped his hand against his knee and leaned towards her, "This is just what we needed to make our parties better!" Tazz laughed softly and turned her attention to a group that was dancing around and singing merrily. She grabbed a piece of meat and took a bite, smiling as the joy began to soak deep into her being.

They all laughed and sang the night away until a majority of the crew passed out. Tazz was beginning to fall asleep when she felt an arm pick her up and cradle her to a strong chest. She mumbled sleepily and huddled against the chest as her eyes remained firmly closed.

She heard Benn's distant voice, "Do you want me to carry her?" She vaguely heard Shanks reply, "Nah. I got her." She finally slipped off to sleep as she felt the redhead begin walking.

Shanks glanced down and smiled when he saw that she was out. He took her to her room and gently put her on the bed. He turned to leave but a grip on his shirt stopped him and he looked back to Tazz to see her holding on to the fabric.

He watched for a moment before kicking his sandals off and removing his cape before getting in the bed. He chuckled softly when Tazz quickly curled against him and he closed his eyes, soon drifting off. Tazz nuzzled against him in her sleep.


End file.
